How Sweet It Is: Ogilvy, Gensler to Make Green at Auerbach Chocolate Factory on 11th Avenue

Hudson Yards won’t be the only development on the far West Side of Manhattan to incorporate sustainable design principles. After recently inking a long-term lease for the entire property, Ogilvy New York has retained Gensler to redesign the Hakimian Organization’s 11-story, 554,800-square foot 636 11th Avenue, which sits between 46th and 47th Streets, to LEED specifications. Built in 1913, the property is the former home of the Auerbach Chocolate Factory, and features high ceilings, Hudson River views, a courtyard, and rooftop space that Gensler will turn into a garden. It’s too early to report details on specific green features or LEED certification efforts, but Gunther Schumacher, Ogilvy’s chief business operations officer, stated that “[s]ustainability is a key priority for Ogilvy. We are working very closely with the Hakimian Organization to make the 'Candy Factory' a green building and get it LEED certified.” Ogilvy hopes to move its entire agency into the property by 2009. CB Richard Ellis (no stranger itself to sustainable business practices) represented Ogilvy in the lease negotiations, with Cushman & Wakefield for the Hakimian Organization. According to GlobeSt.com, asking rents for the space were in the vicinity of $55 per square foot.

• Ogilvy Inks Long-Term Lease (GlobeSt.com)
• CBRE to Enroll 100 Buildings in LEED-EB (gbNYC)